To facilitate the neat, orderly and efficient storage and shipping of merchandise, which may typically be packaged in shipping cartons, the merchandise is palletized, i.e. a predetermined quantity of shipping cartons containing the merchandise are arranged upon a pallet which facilitates movement and storage of the merchandise, typically by materials handling euipment such as for example, a fork-lift truck. In addition to palletizing merchandise, it is often helpful and even necessary to wrap the palletized merchandise to prevent its being damaged by moisture or rain and to prevent it from becoming dusty, dirty or otherwise degraded due to the presence of contaminants within the area occupied by the merchandise when it is being shipped and/or stored.
One conventional technique for protecting palletized merchandise is to wrap a web of clear plastic film around the palletized merchandise. This is accomplished through the use of a roll of plastic film whose free end is tucked into a starting point of the palletized merchandise. The operator then walks about the pallet dispensing the web from the supply roll by unrolling the web. The web is held by the operator by means of a holding apparatus, which is conventionally comprised of a supporting rotatable spindle inserted through the core of the supply roll and being rotatable relative to a pair of handles on which the rotatable spindle is freewheelingly mounted. These devices are expensive, difficult to handle and further add a significant amount of weight to the already heavy roll, making the wrapping operation complex and tedious. In addition the holding assembly is easily damaged due to the rough handling normally encountered, requiring frequent and expensive repairs. In addition, it is not possible to stand the supply roll up on its end without removing the conventional holding device thus adding to the number of steps and complexity of the wrapping operation.
Due to the awkwardness of the aforementioned conventional holding assembly, operators quite frequently dispense completely with its use and hold the supply roll in their bare hands. Since the supply roll rotates relative to the fingers of the operator as the web is being dispensed and wrapped about the pallet, the operators subject their hands and fingers to paper burns and paper cuts. In addition, it is a practical impossibility for the operator to prevent his hands from engaging the edges of the web which causes inadvertent and undesirable tearing and/or splitting of the web, which is to be avoided since it complicates the dispensing the wrapping operation.